Christmastime in Hong Kong

At the beginning of December, our little family "enjoyed" a 15-hour plane ride from New York to Hong Kong as we made our official move here. When our belongings were packed up in Spain, we expected to have them shortly after we arrived here...however, instead of an air shipment, our belongings are on a "slow boat to China". Quite literally. :)

So we are patiently awaiting the arrival of our "stuff" (including a bag of Christmas decor which will not make it here before Christmas) and enjoying Christmastime in Hong Kong.

Before we left the States, I think numerous people asked us how Christmas would be celebrated in Hong Kong. We - naively - answered that we didn't expect there to be much Christmas celebration at all. Instead we were greeted by Christmas music and decorations at the airport and amazing Christmas lights on skyscrapers around the harbor.


Lights along Victoria Harbor

Hong Kong is really like one big shopping mall, and every shopping center here has their own Christmas display.

We hear Christmas music in EVERY building we are in. The songs are often more religious than we'd likely hear in the U.S., maybe because they don't understand the words? :)

There are even REAL American Christmas trees for sell at IKEA!! We decided we didn't need one this year, especially since Charlotte would probably destroy it, but next year we are SO getting one!


Outwardly, Christmas in Hong Kong is much like it is in the U.S...or any other "Christian" country. We think much of this tradition is a holdover from the days of British rule. Hong Kong does have a very unique mixed culture of British and Chinese influences.

And maybe inwardly it is also the same as the way many people in the U.S. celebrate Christmas...shallow, commercial, consumer-minded, and not really about celebrating Jesus' birth at all.

For many reasons, this Christmas will be a very memorable one for us...maybe even moreso because that bag of decorations is stuck on a boat somewhere. :) Christmas really is all in the heart and all about Emmanuel, God with us!

Merry Christmas from Hong Kong!

Swarovski Crystal Christmas Tree

Just the way it should be

Our Thanksgiving celebration was just the way it should be...Brendan prepping the turkey for roasting, me up early (for me!) helping my mom with the meal preparations, Charlotte running around the house playing with cousins for the first time, a house filled with family, lots of love and thanks!

My grandparents - Mommie Mop & Daddy Jack

I've mentioned multiple times in recent posts that I LOVE Thanksgiving and this is why. We were just one big family cooking and eating a big meal together. Watching and playing football together. Taking naps and watching my cousins chase my daughter around the house. It was perfect!

Cousins playing together

Charlotte & her cousin, Noah - aren't they adorable?!

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. We have another big celebration today - Charlotte's 1st Birthday party! Can't wait to celebrate our big girl!

Here she is just being a turkey! :)

Celebration of God's Grace

Happy Thanksgiving to you! We hope you have an amazing time this Thanksgiving with family and friends, and we also hope you take a break from the eating, football watching, eating, and more eating to thank God for what He has done in your life this past year...because the food and football are great but gratitude is really what Thanksgiving is all about.

Here on our blog this Thanksgiving we're having a Celebration of God's Grace!

We invite you to read through our family's blessings from the past year, and then add a comment sharing how God has blessed your family. We can't think of a better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than by rejoicing over God's everyday grace in our lives!

Kinne Family Blessings 2010

• First and foremost, we are thankful that we have a relationship with the God of the universe! We have seen the Lord working in new places and new ways this year. What a mighty God we serve!
• Good health for all of us, but we are especially thankful for incredibly good health for Charlotte while living in Spain without much knowledge of medical terms in the Spanish language.
• We always have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our backs - our needs are always met!
• Safety and adaptability while flying overseas multiple times with an infant.
• Provision of Christian community, especially in a foreign country where few people profess Christ.
• Safety for our family in the military who have served in the Middle East this past year AND extreme gratitude for their sacrifice to serve our country.
• Learning how to do without many of our comforts and conveniences in the United States.
• Friends in many countries who have helped us in our strange transient life this year - living in and taking care of our U.S. home, helping us with language and cultural barriers associated with finding housing, and many other small ways people have blessed us as we've been foreigners far away from home.
• We aren't who we were a year ago - our faith in God has grown through many changes in our life (moving overseas, having a new baby at home, Anne becoming a stay-at-home mom, and Brendan no longer working from home).
• God has given us a unique opportunity to see and learn more about the world He created.
• Charlotte Grace - our beautiful, sweet, happy 1 year-old daughter!
• Each other - our marriage is not perfect - far from it - but because of our relationship with Jesus, we turn to Him to lead us through the tough days (and weeks and months!)
• Each of you - we're grateful for the love each of you give us; you encourage and push us in our faith; our lives would not be same without you!
• Time to spend with our family, especially in the midst of a busy year. {Below are some pictures taken earlier this week with Anne's family in Texas.}

We would love to hear how God has been blessing you this year! At the bottom of this post you can leave a comment, or, if you like, you can leave the link to your own Thanksgiving celebration blog post. We hope you'll also read through comments left by others and rejoice together over what God is doing in our lives!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Kinne's!

*Family photos by Sinklier Studios in Abernathy, Texas.

Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving is hands-down my favorite holiday...and I kinda take it for granted. Since we've been living outside of the US for the past year (almost) I am much more aware that Thanksgiving isn't celebrated everywhere. Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday - and without checking specific facts, I believe a few other countries celebrate their own version of Thanksgiving as well.

I cannot imagine not celebrating Thanksgiving. Wherever we go, I know we'll celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with others whether they are Americans or not...and maybe moreso if they're not, because I think it's important for all Christians to set aside time to reflect and celebrate how God has blessed our lives.

Today, in addition to sharing the blessings I've experienced in the past week, I also wanted to share some Thanksgiving traditions that have evolved in our family...and tell you about a new one! As Charlotte gets older and as we have more children, I'm sure other traditions will be added...but always pointing us towards thanks to God.

Our Thanksgiving Journal

The first year Brendan and I were married we began a Thanksgiving Journal. I found a simple kraft journal at Barnes & Noble and decorated it a bit. Each year we include a picture of all the people we gathered with on Thanksgiving Day and then give everyone the opportunity to write down what they are thankful for that year. I love having this record of thanks. It's so simple, yet such an important part of our Thanksgiving celebration.

Inside look at the journal

Our second Thanksgiving tradition is one that many families are familiar with...but associate it with a different holiday! We send out a Thanksgiving card and letter every year instead of a Christmas card. We love the chance to share what we are thankful for with our family and friends. This year, we're taking that tradition a step further...

On our blog Thanksgiving Day, we're asking all our family & friends to join us in a Thanksgiving Celebration - a celebration of gratitude! Brendan and I are going to post some of the ways God has blessed us this past year, and we'd like to invite you to do the same. If you have a blog, you can write a gratitude post of your own and leave a comment with the link to that post - OR - if you don't have a blog, just leave a comment on our blog telling us and others about how God has blessed you & your family this year!

We're excited to invite others to join us in gratitude to our Lord this Thanksgiving! And we hope this becomes a new Thanksgiving tradition!

My continued counting of everyday graces...

543. flat horizons as far as the eye can see

544. autumn colors in the Texas sunset

545. Little Girl's attempts at words

546. relief from allergies

547. Charlotte "talking" to 2 little friends on Skype

548. Charlotte spending time with her Papa & Popo - free time for Mama! :)

549. fun ladies shopping day

550. beginning to really communicate with my 13 month-old daughter

551. my parents' hospitality & generosity as they've welcomed us into their home for 2 months

552. hearinng Baby Girl whisper "be-be" during the night - in her sleep? :)

553. flocks of migrating birds

554. Charlotte running to her daddy at the airport

555. the end of a too-long time apart from my husband

556. watching Charlotte show off for her daddy

I just keep counting my blessings...

The Thanksgiving holiday in the United States is drawing near. It has always been a favorite holiday of mine. I love that it is a holiday that is really just about people being together. As a Christian, I especially welcome the time to be intentional about my thanks to God and sharing with others how God has blessed me.

Next week, I plan to share some Thanksgiving traditions that have developed for Brendan and I over the years, and maybe begin a new one as well!

This week, I just keep counting my blessings...

533. Charlotte eating a kid-size plate of cheese enchiladas, rice & beans...being a less picky eater!

534. Brendan's safe flights to Madrid

535. delivery & set-up of our furniture in HKG, means we sort-of have a home to arrive to in December

536. seeing my parent's and grandparent's faces light up as Charlotte runs around the living room being silly

537. single-digit days until Brendan joins us in Texas

538. time to read novels

539. planning Thanksgiving dinner with my mom

540. deciding what dishes to cut off the menu - everyone likes something different, but we don't want to waste

541. plans for my grandmother to make my favorite strawberry cake for Charlotte's 1st birthday party

542. being around my hometown to attend my 10 year high school reunion

- Plains High School Class of 2000 -
Oh my! 10 years have gone by!

Just in case anyone is wondering that is NOT my entire graduating class, but there aren't too many more to make it complete!

Cupcake Demolition

Since I've been MIA from the blog while staying in Texas, I haven't posted much about goings-on here. :) I was filtering through the pictures my mom has been taking - of Charlotte - while we've been here and thought of something REALLY cute to share with you.

Enjoy Charlotte's step-by-step cupcake demolition from her 1st birthday.....


Step 1:  Check out the goodies

 

Step 2:  Wait to see if you hear "No, No"

Step 3:  Stick one finger on the cupcake

Step 4:  Stick multiple fingers on the cupcake
and begin taste-testing

Step 5:  Pick up the cupcake with both hands
and begin smearing the icing over your high chair

Step 6:  Get a big chunk of cupcake to put in your mouth

Step 7:  Remember to give BIG smiles to all your family

Step 8:  Add some icing to your face and hair

Step 9:  Eat the cupcake!!

Step 10: Cupcake Demolition Complete

Catching up on gratitude

As I sit in my parent's kitchen waiting for my cup of tea to steep (second one this morning, oh how I'm needing caffeine!), I'm wondering how I let so many weeks go by without posting my gratitude. My consulation is that I haven't neglected my gratitude journal altogether, but I haven't kept up with my posting of that gratitude. So, forgive me, this may be a long list....

September 27th
443. energy to attend worship when we got in from Hong Kong
445. (yes, I accidentally miscounted in my journal :)) time with my sister-in-law
446. beautiful fall weather in Madrid
447. meeting up with distant family in a distant country
448. "Brand New Serrano"
449. a weekend roaming around Madrid with my husband and daughter
450. always perfect weather for helado
451. yum! dulce de leche helado
452. continuing to provide for Charlotte's medical care in our transient life
453. sweet, sweet baby news from friends!!
454. watching our baby girl toddle around the apartment
455. Charlotte's facination with telephones
456. the time (however short) that we got to live in Madrid and how my faith has grown because of it

September 28th
457. sleeping until my alarm went off!
458. precious, quiet minutes/hours in the dark morning
459. my sweet baby girl taking a bowl off my head and putting it back "on" - me getting bonked in the head in the process!
460. reflecting on mine and Charlotte's first visit to Parque Berlin - 7 months ago - how my baby has grown!
461. leftovers
462. double dessert surprises (I surprise husband with cake, he surprises me with pastry :))
463. ironing Brendan's work shirts..and enjoying it
463. listening to the Spirit to hold our stuff lightly, and be willing to give how He leads us
464. green snot almost gone! (not mine, Charlotte's)
465. excitement rather than dread for the coming day after reflecting on God's gifts this day...what does He have in store for tomorrow?!

September 29th
466. our friend, Riley, watching over our house and possessions in Raleigh
467. no more ammonia smell in the kitchen! (cleaning supplies were picked up today!)
468. Brendan totally surprised us and came home early
469. getting Charlotte ready for bed with Brendan...on a weeknight! Yay!
470. Charlotte pulling clothes out of the washer while I'm hanging them out on the line...she's so easily entertained!
471. the cool evening air that smells like fall

September 30th
472. Charlotte toddling around and dancing to worship music - in only a diaper!
473. embracing Charlotte's "cause & effect" learning stage :)
474. smell of winter squash roasting in the oven
475. thinking I lost Charlotte's shot records - the Lord reminding me where they were!
476. Charlotte playing with all her stuffed animals in her crib...it sounded like she was giving them names :)

October 2nd
477. enjoying a TV show (Castle) with my husband
478. our daughter sleeping in on a Saturday morning
479. a family "nap" on the grass on Castellana
480. watching our daughter walk (and run!) around like a big girl at the playground
481. carousel rides and Corte Ingles on Serrano
482. having fun together as a family to celebrate Charlotte's birthday a little early
483. so yummy nachos! (wish we'd tried this restaurant a little sooner :))
484. tarta de Oreo for Charlotte's early birthday sweet
485. baguettes
486. people - families - enjoying beautiful weather outside on Madrid terrazas
487. an old man in his cardigan reading the paper and sipping some coffee drink on a terraza
488. leaves falling down around us as we walked down Castellana
489. iron gate balconies
490. a husband and daughter to walk down Castellana with...my little family

October 4th
491. chasing Charlotte around the park
492. my tooth temporarily fixed
493. a timely bonus to cover the cost of permanently fixing my tooth
494. clothing for 2 "ladies" in 1 suitcase
495. changes becoming the "norm" over time
496. Brendan's sweet competitiveness
497. playing games with my husband
498. this question: "Do you think Charlotte will notice I'm gone?"
499. this response (from Charlotte): Upon seeing a picture of Brendan, she says "Dada"

October 5th
500. feeling ready for travel
501. positive news about Daddy Jack's cancer
502. anticipation of seeing friends and family SOON!
503. 9 months in Madrid (interestingly, this time - Feb-Oct - is the same 9 months I was pregnant with Charlotte last year)
504. walking home from work with Brendan
505. Brendan killing the ants under the kitchen sink
506. our air "smooches"

October 9th
507. empty seats next to us in all 4 of our flights home
508. surprising my grandparents

October 12th
509. being home
510. my grandmother's wonderful gift of hospitality
511. Brendan's safe flights to Hong Kong
512. seeing old friends
513. relaxing in the country
514. seeing my family play with my almost-1-year-old daughter
515. God working in hundreds of small ways during our travel to TX last week - even if I don't remember every single one
516. friends in Raleigh picking us up and providing us a place to stay the night
517. Charlotte recognizing Daddy's voice
518. Charlotte understands and says "no" :)
519. little girl giggling as she plays on the floor with pillows
520. yummy food I've missed
521. tortillas for Charlotte
522. looking at old pictures of my brother and I
523. adjusting to jet lag

November 6th
524. amazing colors in the West Texas sky in the minutes before sunrise - and being able to see the whole sky
525. time to really talk to my brother
526. family meals at my grandparent's house
527. catching up with an old friend and watching our daughters play together
528. spending time with family - even if it means weeks away from my husband, who I really miss
529. Charlotte chasing the kitties at Papa and Popo's house and saying "Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi" to them
530. a new homemade enchilada recipe - yummy, yummy, yummy!
531. pumpkin spice doughnuts
532. Charlotte spending the afternoon with her great-grandparents

Ah! Cup of tea is finished. So is this really long gratitude post. :)

A&M wins to bring it to a 5-3 record (guest post by Brendan)

The yearly match up between Texas Tech and Texas A&M in college football never meant anything to me (Brendan) until I started dating Anne in 2003. She went to TTU and me to A&M - so one Saturday a year  since 2003 we sit on different sides of the couch and try not to engage the other in conversation until the game is wrapped up in the fourth quarter.

Based on the results below, you would think that I would stop watching the games....but the frustrating thing is that A&M is the traditional football school and TTU is just some small school close to New Mexico. I blame myself for a lot of the struggles of A&M over the past 11yrs - since I started my freshman year. In 1998 they won the Big 12 Championship, had one of the longest home winning streaks and still rated well with ESPN and other top news agencies as the place to watch football. Since I arrived on campus - 3 coaching changes, terrible bowl record and nothing more than wasted opportunities by the end of the year. To make matters worse for my school...I go and marry a Red Raider (although amazing, beautiful and loving - she is still the enemy one Saturday a year)!

Here are the results since Anne and I started dating.......

2003 - TTU (first game ever with Anne - A&M killed in Lubbock)

2004 - A&M (overtime victory at Kyle Field)
2005 - TTU (A&M killed again in Lubbock)

2006 - TTU (they stole the game on the rode in College Station)
2007 - TTU (A&M killed again in Lubbock - do you see the trend)

2008 - TTU (4 yrs in a row....oh man!)

2009 - A&M (CG is the good luck charm - Gig'em!!)

2010 - A&M (In Hong Kong, Aggies win while I sleep)

2011 - TTU or A&M?

Stay tuned as the games will continue to be played one Saturday a year! Enjoy a few pictures from the years below:

South Plains Massacre - 2003

House Divided (officially since 2006)

College Station - 2006

Future Little Aggie - 2009

A Year of Firsts

Our baby girl...Sweet Pea...Tooter...CG...Charlotte Grace...whatever you call her, she is no longer much of a baby. October 20th was her 1st birthday!

It is hard for me to believe that her first year of life has passed by, but I thought it would be fun to re-cap some of the highlights of Charlotte's "Year of Firsts".



First Visit to a Pumpkin Patch

 

First Trip to the Beach

First Trip to Spanish Embassy in Washington, DC

First Toe Snack

First Spanish Siesta

First Bath

First Card Game

First Time Crawling

First (and hopefully only :)) Crop-Top

First Madrid Metro Ride



First Plot to Take Over the World



First Picture with the Burro

First Mohawk

In those early days of Charlotte's life when I was exhausted and weary of caring for a newborn, I was not sure that time would ever go by quickly as people told me it would. But they were right...it has flown by! Brendan and I are LOVING being parents. God is using Charlotte to mold and stretch our faith in ways we never thought possible.

We are looking forward to the year to come. Maybe there won't be as many "firsts", but with a full-fledged toddler on our hands it will be anything but boring!